D.J. Hackett

Published 12:00 am Thursday, September 6, 2007

During the 2006 training camp, third-year receiver D.J. Hackett was fighting for his NFL life. With several veterans ahead of him, including newcomer Nate Burleson, Hackett had every reason to think his time in Seattle was about to come to an end.

And when the team traded for former Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch in early September, Hackett’s NFL lifespan seemed to take another hit.

Not that the low-key University of Colorado product was letting anyone see him sweat. When the Seahawks added Branch in a highly publicized trade, Hackett literally shrugged at a question about how the acquisition might affect his playing time.

In the end, Hackett slowly ascended up the depth chart, from the No. 5 receiver to a starter over the course of the 2006 season.

And now, thanks in part to the April trade of Darrell Jackson and a solid summer of practices, Hackett enters his first season as a full-time starter. He’ll start at split end after nudging out Burleson in a competition that spanned most of the summer.

“He’s going to be relied upon,” quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said of Hackett. “It’s not going to be one guy.

“It’s not going to be just Deion Branch; it’s not going to be just Bobby Engram. We’re counting on Nate, we’re counting on Hack. Those guys have got to come through, and I hope they do.”

If history is an indicator, Hackett is up to the task. He’s “come through” whenever he’s been called upon. When teammates like Jackson and Engram were sidelined by injuries, Hackett filled in without any drop-off. He came out of nowhere to catch 28 passes in 2005, then had a career-high 45 receptions last season.

“He had a chance to play last year and showed he could do some things,” head coach Mike Holmgren said. “He’s been a big-play guy for us.”

Quiet by nature, Hackett has made a lot of noise in his limited opportunities over the years. Now the Seahawks hope he can make the next step into a starting role.

“I don’t really try to think about that stuff too much,” he said early in training camp. “When the games start, if I’m out there, I’m out there to make plays. Whether I’m the first one out there or the last one, I just try to make plays when I’m (on the field).”

While Hackett all but locked up the starting job with a solid summer of minicamps, he continued to show occasional flashes throughout training camp.

Rookie cornerback Josh Wilson was among those who were impressed.

“He’s a deceiving receiver,” Wilson said after Hackett was the star of the Aug. 4 intrasquad scrimmage. “It’s hard to read his routes, and that’s what makes him good. Every route is very similar, and you’ve got to be able to watch him and keep him under control.

“It’s great going against him because he gives you a different look than the other receivers.”

In person, Hackett is not imposingly big or fast, but he appears to be both on game days. The 6-foot-2 receiver continually out-jumps defensive backs for balls, and he always seems to run past cornerbacks who are known for their speed.

“He plays fast,” receivers coach Nolan Cromwell said of Hackett. “I don’t know if he times fast or whatever, but once he gets those long legs going, he covers ground rather quickly.”

Hackett’s ascent from fifth-round draft pick to practice squad player to starter has been anything but quick.

But the Seahawks believe this is the year he’s ready for the big time.